Romero-Nieves, Enrique, PFC

Served as Squad Leader with Co. A/1/7, during the night of 26 October 1952, when both the platoon commander and the platoon sergeant were wounded and evacuated, PFC Romero assumed command of the platoon during his platoons night counterattack over a bitterly defended hill mass. PFC Romero taking charge of the remnants of the platoon, continued the attack in the face of intense artillery, mortar, automatic weapons fire and enemy hand-grenades. In spite of this heavy fire, PFC Romero directed the emplacement of a machine-gun within 75 yards of the enemy positions in order to increase the volume of fire on an enemy held bunker. Moving forward alone, and armed only with hand-grenades, he single-handedly charged the enemy bunker. During his assault,PFC Romero was knocked down and painfully wounded by an enemy hand grenade which rendered his left hand useless, he quickly regained his feet and again stormed the bunker while dodging heavy automatic weapons fire. Upon reaching the side of the enemy bunker, PFC Romero was unable to pull the pin on the hand-grenade due to his wounded hand. PFC Romero then coolly extracted the pin of the grenade by hooking it under his belt buckle and hurled the grenade into the bunker, killing six enemy soldiers, thereby enabling his fellow Marines to continue the assault on the enemy hilltop.

PFC Enrique Romero-Nieves was born in Culebra, Puerto Rico. His hometown was the town of Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He remains the most highly decorated Virgin Islander. PFC Romero-Nieves is deceased. the Enrique Romero-Nieves American Legion Post # 102, in Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is named in his honor.